Lebanon in Crisis: Nasrallah, Hariri and the STL

The drama over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s likely indictment of Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri continues on. The latest development unfolded earlier this week with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s highly-publicized press conference, where he unveiled what he deemed was evidence that proved Israel’s involvement in the ...

The drama over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s likely indictment of Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri continues on. The latest development unfolded earlier this week with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s highly-publicized press conference, where he unveiled what he deemed was evidence that proved Israel’s involvement in the assassination. Lebanese press reports today that current Prime Minister Saad Hariri — son of murdered Rafiq Hariri — will address the debate over the STL’s investigation into his father’s death on Saturday. While it still remains uncertain whether and to what extent Hezbollah will cooperate with the STL’s investigation, our authors — taking a deeper look at these issues, including with an exclusive interview with the STL — consider how they affect Lebanese political stability, and what this can all mean for Hezbollah’s future and reputation in Lebanon.

The Real Deal for Lebanonby Steven Heydemann While it’s not likely that the STL’s findings will collapse Lebanon into political chaos, we could be witnessing "the end stages of a brokered settlement aimed at preserving the current political order intact."

Hezbollah’s Campaign Against the Special Tribunal for Lebanonby Randa Slim Why has Hezbollah decided to send its leader Hassan Nasrallah to defend against the STL’s likely indictments instead of other senior members? And why have they chosen to do this now, if the party has known indictments against them were likely for quite some time?

An Interview with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon by Elias Muhanna Elias Muhanna conducts an exclusive interview with STL spokesman Dr. Fatima el Issawi.